Coaches,
It’s been a busy past 6 weeks and we’re finally to the fun part where we actually get to teach and coach the game of basketball.
All coaches are invited to attend a Coaches Clinic featuring Coach Chip Sodemann and Coach Tracy Schmidt of Liberty High School on October 29th, 6:30pm at WingHaven Country Club. Chip and Tracy are excited to share their general coaching philosophy and also a few staples from their playbook which we can share with our teams.
Now is also an appropriate time to reiterate the general philosophy of the Bombers Basketball / Liberty Feeder Program. The Bombers Basketball Program’s objective is to prepare young men and women to play basketball at the high school level. In order to accomplish this objective it’s inherent basketball players in our program are provided an opportunity to develop their individual skill set while also learning how to play a role as part of a team.
Simply put, it’s our job as coaches to teach the game of basketball to each player on our team to the best of our ability. It’s also our responsibility, as coaches, to provide a culture in which our players can enjoy the journey of growing as an athlete and young person.
“An athlete doesn’t care what you know, until they know how much you care”
Each of our teams will have different strengths and weaknesses. Some may be undersized and others may lack speed and quickness. It’s understandable each team will play to different strengths on game day. That being said, to build a good feeder program it’s important to have some Program Absolutes. These “Program Pillars” will guide players through their time in the program and provide them the best opportunity for long term success.
We will teach and coach our players with long term athletic development as our top priority. We have limited teaching and coaching opportunities so it’s imperative we take full advantage of the time we have with our athletes. If working on fundamentals at practice costs us a game on Saturday or Sunday (playing man instead of zone, running plays that require movement, cutting and screening instead of just getting the ball to your best player, giving playing opportunities to all of your players), than so be it. Our program and athletes benefit in the long run.
Program Mentality
Attack, Attack, Attack
Regardless of our current skill set, we want to instill in our young athletes a mentality of how they will approach each possession. We will make several drills / coaching tools available to you to help drive this point home to your players.
3 Things We Can All Control (It is these 3 things by which we will evaluate our success along the way)
- Energy
- Effort
- Attitude
If our kids learn the importance of winning in these three areas of life they will be better prepared for success on or off the basketball court. These 3 things should be reinforced at every practice and every game.
Points of Emphasis for Practices
- Ball-handling
- Footwork
- Passing
- Shooting
Defense
- Shell Drill
- 1 vs 1
- Rebounding
- Communication
Offense
Catch the ball ready to score. In triple threat a player should be ready to shoot, shoot and shoot. If a player puts the ball on the floor with a dribble they should be attacking the rim for a layup.
Offensive Absolutes:
- Do what you do best and do it often
- Control the defender
- Run
- Protect the Ball
- Attack the basket
- Make Lay ups and Make Free Throws
Defensive Absolutes:
- Run
- Communicate
- Position
- Dictate to the offense
- Contest all shots
- No Lay ups
Following our Coaches Clinic we’ll make available a series of our favorite drills from which you are welcome to select from when building your practice plan. Clearly you know your team best, so if you have drills to add to our library please offer them up so others can use them as well.
Thank you again for your willingness to share your time, energy and passion to benefit these kids.
Dustin
